Welcome to Medical News Today

Healthline Media, Inc. would like to process and share personal data (e.g., mobile ad id) and data about your use of our site (e.g., content interests) with our third party partners (see a current list) using cookies and similar automatic collection tools in order to a) personalize content and/or offers on our site or other sites, b) communicate with you upon request, and/or c) for additional reasons upon notice and, when applicable, with your consent.

Healthline Media, Inc. is based in and operates this site from the United States. Any data you provide will be primarily stored and processed in the United States, pursuant to the laws of the United States, which may provide lesser privacy protections than European Economic Area countries.

By clicking “accept” below, you acknowledge and grant your consent for these activities unless and until you withdraw your consent using our rights request form. Learn more in our Privacy Policy.

Please accept our privacy terms

We use cookies and similar technologies to improve your browsing experience, personalize content and offers, show targeted ads, analyze traffic, and better understand you. We may share your information with third-party partners for marketing purposes. To learn more and make choices about data use, visit our Advertising Policy and Privacy Policy. By clicking “Accept and Continue” below, (1) you consent to these activities unless and until you withdraw your consent using our rights request form, and (2) you consent to allow your data to be transferred, processed, and stored in the United States.

Get the MNT newsletter

Email an article

You have chosen to share the following article:

How elderberries can help you fight the flu

To proceed, simply complete the form below, and a link to the article will be sent by email on your behalf.Note: Please don't include any URLs in your comments, as they will be removed upon submission.

We do not store details you enter into this form. Please see our privacy policy for more information.

Dysesthesia is when a person experiences a painful, itchy, burning, or restrictive sensation. It is caused by nerve damage and associated mostly with neurological conditions, such as multiple sclerosis.

Dysesthesia is a combination of the Ancient Greek words "dys" and "aesthesis" and translates to "abnormal" or "sensation."

According to the National Institutes of Health, the continuous burning, tingling, or aching pain of dyesthesia affects 12–28 percent of people with multiple sclerosis (MS).

Fast facts on dysesthesia:

Symptoms may be long-term or occur only intermittently.

Some people with dysesthesia are not too affected while others are disabled by it.

Dysesthesia is often the result of neurological conditions affecting the nerves.

Causes

Symptoms of dysesthesia may include an itching sensation that resembles a crawling under the skin.

Dysesthesia is caused by nerve damage, which means their behaviors become unpredictable, causing inappropriate or incorrect signaling.

These confused messages go to the brain, which is often unable to understand them. Consequently, the brain simply picks a known sensation or mix of sensations with which to respond.

In the case of dysesthesia, impaired nerve firing can cause the brain to stimulate abnormal, uncomfortable sensations, ranging from a mild tingling sensation to sharp, stabbing pains.

Although it can be painful, it may be comforting to know that dysesthesia is not a sign of tissue damage. Normally tissues impacted by the condition are otherwise fully functional and healthy, although prolonged misuse or lack of use can leave them damaged.

Symptoms

Symptoms of dysesthesia vary between individuals, but most cases of the condition tend to cause similar symptoms that impact the skin, scalp, face, mouth, torso, arms and legs.

The most common symptoms associated with dysesthesia include:

an itching, burning sensation that may resemble a crawling under or on the skin

a restrictive sensation, especially in the trunk or torso, sometimes called an 'MS hug'

an unexplained painful sensation, which often radiates or spreads

tingling feelings

feelings of "pins and needles"

the sensation of being on fire

an uncomfortable, hard to describe sensation or feeling of hitting the funny bone or mild muscle spasms

Types

There are different types of dysesthesia that each affects different parts of the body.

Scalp dysesthesia

Most people with this type of dysesthesia may experience an intensely painful, burning sensation under or on the skin of the scalp. This can lead to excessive scratching, normally without the benefit of any relief, as well as hair loss.

Cutaneous dysesthesia

Most people with this type of dysesthesia have extremely sensitive skin that does not respond in a normal way to outside stimuli or touch. In some cases, loose-fitting clothing or a passing breeze may trigger sensations of pain, burning, or irritation.

Occlusal dysesthesia

Someone with this type of dysesthesia experiences the sensation of biting when they are not trying to engage their jaw or bite on to something.

Occlusal dysesthesia is most commonly a side effect or complication of dental surgeries.

Oral dysesthesia

Most people experiencing this of dysesthesia have an unexplained sensation of pain or burning in the mouth or oral structures, including the jaw, tongue, or gums.

They may also experience an altered sense of taste or response to temperature and an impaired ability to speak and eat.

Relation to MS

MS is a disease that attacks the central nervous system and dysesthesia is a symptom of conditions that are nerve-damaging.

Dysesthesia is a symptom of nerve-damaging conditions, in particular, those that target the central nervous system or the spinal cord and brain, such as MS.

MS is an autoimmune condition where the body damages or destroys myelin, the layer of protective fatty tissue that allows electrical impulses to pass through.

When myelin damage in minimal, nerve signaling may only be slightly or temporarily impaired. But extensive myelin damage can shut down nerve communication altogether, which usually causes intense, long-term pain.

2019 Healthline Media UK Ltd. All rights reserved. MNT is the registered trade mark of Healthline Media. Any medical information published on this website is not intended as a substitute for informed medical advice and you should not take any action before consulting with a healthcare professional.